2020 Subaru Ascent Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2020 Ascent most often report a battery that goes dead without warning, sometimes after the vehicle sat only a few days or after a liftgate or infotainment system stayed active. Windshields that crack or pit easily are the second most common theme, and a share of owners describe CVT hesitation, slipping or delayed engagement, often at low mileage but sometimes much later. Most complaints on file were filed in the first year of ownership at low mileage.

1. 1
   Electrical system

   Battery drains and no-start conditions

   • 97 complaints (30%)
   • median 5,900 mi at 1.0 yrs old (44 state mileage)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe returning to the vehicle to find it completely dead, sometimes after sitting only a few days and sometimes after normal daily driving. Several report multiple jump starts, battery replacement under warranty with the problem returning, and dealers saying the battery tested fine or that short trips and accessories drain it. A few link the drain to the liftgate, interior lights or the infotainment system staying active after shutdown. Mostly reported under about 18,000 miles, often within the first year of ownership and sometimes after only a few days parked.

   Recall 22V9070003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the battery has been replaced or the vehicle has needed jump starts, and have a shop check for parasitic draw. Confirm the ground-bolt recall work was done, and note that service bulletins describe diagnostic procedures for dark current and battery discharge rather than a single fix.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I started having issues when trying to turn the car on - it would appear the battery was dead despite no reason for it to be. This happened multiple times for a week. I brought my car in to see what the issue was and the auto repair shop said the battery was bad and needs to be replaced. The vehicle is barely a year old with only 11,000 miles on it.”

   NHTSA complaint #11408441, filed 2021-04, 11,000 miles

   “Tried starting my car on march 5 and would not start. Tried to jump start but it did not work. Had it towed to the dealer and was told battery is dead. Dealer could not explain why battery died. Dealer replaced old battery with the same oem battery. This is a temporary fix and I told them I'm not confident this will not happen again.”

   NHTSA complaint #11403179, filed 2021-03, 8,300 miles
2. 2
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Windshield cracks and chips

   • 68 complaints (21%)
   • median 6,400 mi at 0.9 yrs old (47 state mileage)
   • filed 2019–2023

   Owners report cracks appearing with no impact, often found after the vehicle sat overnight or in cold weather, and spreading quickly across the glass. Others describe small pits and chips accumulating from ordinary road grit within the first months of ownership. Complaints mention dealer referral to a glass shop, warranty coverage being declined, and concern about recalibrating the EyeSight cameras after replacement. Mostly reported under about 10,000 miles, frequently in the first months of ownership and often after cold nights or highway driving.

   What to check: Inspect the windshield closely for chips, sand pitting or repaired cracks, and ask whether the glass has been replaced and whether the camera recalibration was done afterward.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The front windshield cracked near the rear view mirror about 30 days after purchasing the car. It was a horizontal crack and continued to spread in both the left and right directions each day. I did not fix it immediately due to covid-19 fears. In december 2020 I scheduled an appointment to get it fixed because it had grown to 1.5 feet long.”

   NHTSA complaint #11383612, filed 2020-12, 70 miles

   “Within a seven month period and while my car had under 10,000 miles on it, I've had to replace the windshield twice. Both times a pea size chip had progressed into a 12-18 inch crack within a hour while the car was parked. Both times I was driving on the same city highway at speeds at/under 60 MPH and was hit with common highway gravel. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11415454, filed 2021-05, 9,500 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   CVT hesitation, slipping and delayed engagement

   • 36 complaints (11%)
   • median 22,500 mi at 1.2 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe the transmission slipping or hesitating, momentary rises in engine speed without matching acceleration, lurching or jerking on acceleration, and occasional loss of power when pulling away or climbing. Some owners say the dealer reprogrammed a module or replaced the transmission, and some report the behavior returned after repair. A few owners reference the powertrain recall and note the repair did not resolve their symptom. Reported from a few hundred miles up to 100,000-plus miles, with many in the 12,000 to 42,000 mile range.

   Recall 21V9550003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive at low speed and on a hill, watching for hesitation, shudder or a rise in rpm without acceleration, and ask whether recall 21V955000 and any CVT reprogramming have been completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2800 miles on vehicle. Today lost power twice going up steep hill (electrical functions still intact, was accelerating uphill and was similar to shifting into neutral then re-accelerated after 10-15 seconds, driving approx 30mph). Narrowly avoided collision due to slippery road, did briefly roll backwards before braking. Not sure I will ever be willing to put my kids back in this nearly-new vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #11383191, filed 2020-12, 2,800 miles

   “Driving down the road the entire car started vibrating and felt wobbly when I got above 20mph. Pulled over to check tires and under the car, no obvious issues found. Turned off then back on the car, same issue above 20mph. The car was struggling to get up the tow ramp and smelled an acrid odor that both I and the tow truck driver noticed. Made terrible sound when shifting from p through r to d. This all happened on paved roads going back home. The car now has 150 miles on it, bought it 3 days prior new.”

   NHTSA complaint #11319814, filed 2020-03, 150 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Infotainment and audio dropouts

   • 14 complaints (4%)
   • median 6,000 mi at 1.0 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2020–2023

   Owners report the audio system going silent across radio, navigation and voice functions, sometimes followed by a dead battery the next morning. Complaints describe rebooting the unit without success and dealers unable to explain the cause; separate bulletins address infotainment diagnostics and extended head-unit warranty coverage. Usually reported under about 10,000 miles, often within the first year.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that the radio, navigation, voice commands and Bluetooth all work, and ask whether the head unit has been replaced or the extended warranty coverage for the head unit applies.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have owned this vehicle since late may 2020, and I have approximately 2,000 miles on the odometer. On 7/25/20, I started the vehicle and there was no sound at all from the audio system - radio, navigation, voice commands, etc. Were all mute. I rebooted the radio by holding down the power button until it restarted, but this did not fix the issue, despite multiple reboots. I continued to drive my vehicle each day on 7/26 and 7/27, and the audio did not come back. On 7/29/20, I planned to call the dealer to report the issue. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11341879, filed 2020-07, 2,000 miles

   “While driving down the road on a trip, my 2020 Ascent suddenly lost all audio from the infotainment and GPS system. Then after the vehicle was parked overnight, the battery was completely dead. No systems were left on at the time the vehicle was parked, so the cause of the dead battery and the loss of audio is a mystery.”

   NHTSA complaint #11362644, filed 2020-10, 6,200 miles

Buying note. A used 2020 Ascent is worth checking carefully for battery drain history, windshield condition and how the CVT behaves on a test drive. Ask for recall completion records for the fuel pump and powertrain campaigns, and confirm any head-unit or battery service work.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.